Leica

The popular South London Camera Fair takes place this Sunday, December 4, and is well worth a visit.

My weekend visit to Bievres  turned out to be one of the most enjoyable outings I've had this year. The camera fair in this small town near Versailles is one of Europe's foremost places to buy used photographic equipment, from the very earliest days through to modern digitals. The crowds of visitors from all over the world were a testament to the pull of this annual event. This year was the 52nd fair and it has become an pilgrimage for anyone who is anyone in the collectors' sphere.

Today Leica launches its second-generation version of the niche black-and-white-only camera, to be known as the Monochrom Typ 246. It features a custom-made CMOS 24MP high-resolution Maestro sensor without low-cut filter, a 3MP live-view screen and 2GB buffer.

Leica's impressive pop-up store in the heart of Brick Lane got off to a roaring start yesterday. One after another interesting people walked in to chat about photography. Ivor Cole, of London's Red Dot Cameras was there and acting as greeter and host for visitors. He it was who supplied an impressive showcase of vintage Leicas to demonstrate the long history of the marque.